FFVII: Final Illusion (a novelised adaptation)
by Peter J Marcroft
Summary: A secular tyrannical organisation rules the world with a monopoly on power and military. But as their regime is attacked by freedom fighters, echoes of a sinister science project rise from the darkness and aim to plunge the world into chaos and war.
1. Part I: Heart of a New God - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The world was in an ever shifting state of flux, it shifted and changed in a heartbeat. For thirty years societal changes had led people to see the world as a dark place, full of malice and misery. For these disillusioned souls there had to be a pinnacle, a place that mirrored their perception, a place that hammered home that their planet was nothing more than a ball of congealing corruption.

The western continent housed that very location, it was a city of the future, a civilisation that surpassed every achievement mankind had placed under its belt. _Midgar_ was the crowning glory of the new order, governed by the secular corporation named _Shinra_. Unlike every other settlement, this metal monstrosity had two levels. It was the ultimate oppression against those who had nothing and the ultimate worship of those who had everything.

Many angry young singers crooned bitter songs of how heaven and hell was not an afterlife, but an eternity of suffering or bliss within the boundaries of Midgar. The belief was not far wide of the truth. Ultimately, the city was a world that thrived on chaos and domination. On the upper plate everything a person could want laid in wait. With nothing other than the corporation's headquarters dwarfing their horizons, the people of the upper tier gorged themselves on cleaner air and basked in the glory of the sunrise and sunset. Their homes were made from bricks and slates, functioning drains carried the rainwater away. More than this, their streets were not clouded with fighting members of public.

In the lower levels, life was much more of a challenge. Life in the lower city was where razor sharp wit and brutal savagery were needed to survive. Few kind hearts were offered to strangers here, indeed, many of the gangs saw the word stranger as a euphemism for enemy. The Shinra Security Forces didn't care. For the corporation, it was more economical for gangs to burn each other to ashes than arrest them.

As a result, the slums saw fearful citizens cower together, all huddled in their shanty houses. Pitiful dwellings forged from road signs, rusted drain pipes and other clutter that the people found within the streets. In the movies, whenever a disaster occurred, people always scuttled from the rubble to fight amongst themselves for survival. Midgar was different, the people needed no disaster, they needed no excuses. With nothing else of worth left in the city, the dwellers fought hard and played harder.

This bitter reality had forced the group to embark on their ambitious subversion of the corporation's iron grip on the populace. Most people had fought amongst themselves, or tried futile attacks on the ruling government and been subsequently executed. None of the groups before them had been so unified, so driven to pull off the daring and calculating ploys. _Avalanche,_ the name the corporation uttered with hateful disdain. They were a small subversive eco-warrior group that had made their name in the aftermath of the Wutai war. If Shinra had believed that defeating the eastern warriors had earned them dominance. The Genesis crisis had forced them to be wary of danger at their own doors.

Avalanche had seized upon it, launching attacks on the Shinra's biggest events. Corporate dinners, parades, big openings. Each time they had left their mark, drawing minimal bloodshed but leaving in their wake a legacy of anarchy that undermined the faceless corporation.

Tonight would be no different, at least that was the hope. Though this time they had one extraneous variable to control. As the group lay quietly on the roof of the train, all their eyes fell upon him. The new recruit. _Newcomer_ was what they had called him. They might have felt unified before the mission was briefed out, but since the moment he had been introduced, the group's eyes kept darting askance, drinking in the image of the warrior.

He had been told that he was striking, his head sported a blonde mane that had been drawn into unruly spikes. From a distance he apparently looked like some biker pin-up that teenage girls would drool all over. The wind swept his hair about in a random manner, which annoyed him. His hair may have stole the limelight to most, but it was his eyes that truly garnered a response. When serving in the forces he had been told that his eyes would drink souls. They were a very deep blue, but at the edge was a twinge of green. _People must think I have_ _a streak of supernatural energy coursing through my body_. He intoned silently.

He was completely out of place on this mission, Avalanche were the sworn enemy of Shinra, but he wore a classic uniform reserved for the first rankers in the deadly _Soldier_ army. It comprised a mesh jumpsuit that was a fusion of black and purple, despite the infusion of the lighter shade, it was actually rendered more difficult to see with the naked eye in dark areas. The multi-tone nature of the colours meant it could easily fade into the background. Meanwhile, a pair of heavy shoulder pads were strapped in place either side of his neck, thick spikes jutting from them.

On his back was a weapon that really struck a chord. The sword was styled in a similar way to an ancient broadsword. Its blade easily forty-two inches long, and at least three inches thick. Most would ponder if he chopped through his opponents or merely clubbed them to death like he were swinging a nail studded baseball bat.

"Station approaching!" One of the activists yelled suddenly. "About one mile left before we slow for station one!"

"Awright, everyone be ready!" The leader called as he ducked swiftly into a recess on top of the train.

For three minutes the bumpy ride continued before a hideous screeching sound excreted from the rails beneath. A final puff of energy twinged steam was spewed from the front locomotive before all activity ceased. Silently the group prepared their assault, their eyes monitored the two guards who patrolled the platform. The leader threw his left arm up and instantly his two point-men began the assault.

The first warrior that he saw attack the guards sported a dark green outfit that ended just below the figure's knees, carefully tucked into a pair of brown boots. The red bandana that held the rough mane of black hair in place; fluttered in the light breeze. Silently he watched his _ally_ slide up to the edge of the platform, hidden in the space between the rails and the under tray of the carriage. The activist waited patiently for the first guard to walk on by before leaping up from the blind spot.

The thick baton in his right hand smashed against the centre of the guard's skull, a sickening sound filled the air as it began to dislodge from the tip of his spine. Dazed and confused the guard staggered around, only for the fighter to thrash the club into his windpipe. Desperately the sentry attempted to breathe, his mouth sucking frantically at the air, hoping to draw oxygen into his lungs. The terrorist turned his back as the man's face turned purple around the visible jawline, before his quarry collapsed into a heap, the suffocation complete.

Behind the man came the sound of a clicking. He watched the activist as the barrel of the gun was pointed at his back from a distance. _What a fool!_ He contemptuously thought, the fighter should have hauled the guard down to the rails, rather than leave himself open for a capture at the other end. Slowly his _ally_ sank to his knees, placed his hands on his head and interlocked the fingers.

As the guard slithered along the platform the second fighter silently appeared from the crawl space between each car. Unlike her comrade, the armour she wore was a dull grey, designed to slip into the surroundings of machinery and industrious workmanship. Her long brown hair was also held back by a thick red bandana, despite this a long set of strands fluttered uncontrollably at the sides of her head.

The woman's eyes were trained on the enemy, the thick metal armlets that guarded her wrists shone as the light of a nearby street-lamp kissed them delicately. The girl's palms clutched tightly at a pair of knives, the silvered blades held with a reverse grip so that they pointed towards her own body. Stealthily she followed her target, her movements silently mirroring that of her quarry. As the careless guard reached for his belt to retrieve a pair of handcuffs, she pounced. Quickly turning her knives the other way around, the blades stopping barely an inch from the guard's throat. The figure gave a yelp of terror before the edges ripped through his jugular, spraying blood across her ally's back. _Much more like it, maybe they are not so stupid after all?_ He contemplated from atop the train car.

"You could have made him mess up the platform instead of me!" The idiot protested as he clambered back to his feet.

"And you better look out when in a fight!" Their leader called, "these lot ain't jus' some raw cadets."

"You don't have to worry about Soldier." He called before he vaulted from the train in a flamboyant somersault. "It's not likely that Shinra will have them patrolling the reactors."

"That's cuz all the others are distractin' them suckers! The big fight in Sector Two is all that they's be caring about!"

He shook his softly. "It's only a good ploy if we are quick enough to exploit it."

The leader's eyes narrowed. "Jus' becuz you were once a Soldier don't make you leader. But you's right, we's better move out!" Ahead of him the group darted for the edge of the platform, leaving him alone.

As they departed he realised that he didn't even know their names, it summed up all his feelings for the mission ahead. This was not some battle that he would gleefully die for, not like anything he had been involved with for the conglomerate. There was an irony in that; one of their former elite had turned traitor. He doubted that his former comrades in arms would ever be driven by anything other than a wish for his death.

Silently he walked up to the first corpse and roughly searched through the pockets of the uniform, swiftly pocketing a couple of tiny curative items. Disappointingly they had possessed no money to pilfer or weapons that were of any use. Giving up the search of the body he made for the exit when a light that hung from the platform roof flashed. He cursed and realised that the general alarm had gone off.

Angrily he darted free of the platform and turned back to face the archway that led directly on to the platform of Sector One. A pair of guards ran along it with assertion and speed, the signal box that had housed them stood on the horizon and he grinned, Shinra had been more intelligent than he anticipated. Carefully he slid against the wall, out of sight of the entrance door. Quickly he drew in a deep breath and held it. His heart beat slowed, and the silence grew.

The guards fell for the ruse and rushed free and onto the street. Comically they looked on ahead, confused, when the sound of metal cutting the air caught their attention. It proved too late, the huge blade completed a semi-circular arc, both heads fell to the cobbled road outside the station a mere heartbeat afterwards. Coolly their killer glanced back and saw that the station had fallen into silence, with no other guards in sight. Smoothly he threw the sword over his shoulder, the two holes in the blade slotted obediently over the magnetic orbs that had been fashioned into the back of his suit, securing the weapon and freeing his arms.

With no threat of attack, he drank in the image of Sector One. Like all other parts of Midgar, it was an imposing vision, colossal girders sprang up from deep beneath the cobbled roads with concrete pathways that ran parallel at their side. A deep ringing sound tolled in the distance, a soundtrack of constant banging, as if ten thousand iron mongers smelted simultaneously. The sky, normally so vibrant and light, was hazy and muzzled, the Mako driven smog suffocated the northern part of the metropolis.

"Huh?" The green clothed terrorist called as he turned to face him, the sound of his thick boots had roused the _ally_ from the daydream he had fallen into. "So you're the new guy eh?" The joker announced, offering out his hand. He ignored it. "Heh... You're really serious about things aren't you? Don't say too much. We don't even know your name."

"Cloud." He replied cuttingly, with no hint of comradeship.

"Cloud eh? Well my name's Biggs, that there is..."

"Do me a favour." He began, "save your breath. I don't care what your names are, I am here for this mission, after that I am done."

"Hey man! What kind of attitude is that? Want some quick cash before you go back to Soldier?" The _ally_ protested at him.

He felt his eyes narrow as he stared back at the man. "If I were going to go back to Soldier, you'd either be dead, or shackled to the back of a truck being dragged to the Shinra tower. Now, if you want to keep your tongue, stop it wagging."

Ahead, the woman fighter turned her head to him. "Let's save the brawling for the inside of that reactor right? Getting the mission done is what matters isn't it?"

"Save your breath Jessie, guy isn't worth it."

The woman threw her gaze back at the small computer screen that she had been transfixed on, the ambivalence clearly threw her nerves all over the place. With the issue of comradeship buried, he kept his eyes focused on the huge iron gate that stood between the high concrete walls of the reactor. It reminded him of a prison, he pictured the vast entrance opening up and truckloads of shackled inmates being flung into their cramped cells.

Despite the gate, the reactor lacked the fearful image that an ancient prison had, though it certainly matched it for size. The main cooling tower rose way above his head, as his neck craned further backwards in a vain attempt to view the tip, he gave up once at full stretch and guessed the height to be at least two hundred feet.

"Where's Wedge?" Jessie asked suddenly.

Biggs chuckled. "How could you misplace a fat git like him?" Jessie rolled her eyes, while he simply ignored the whole conversation. He was beginning to feel like the mission would be a disaster, having been the only one to cut off a rear assault, he now found two of the main techs joking in the street about one of their own. "Heh... Well anyway, you know what he does best right?" Biggs continued. "He's up on the roof of the train station, scanning the distance."

Before he could ponder the success of that ploy, the leader stormed into view from the right hand road. As the figure was surrounded by the light of the lamps, he found himself taking a long look at the man. Unlike many of the populace, the figure was dark skinned, with a stubbly beard formed along the line of his chin. While his hair had been cut razor sharp in the style of a marine. The figure's biceps bulged with the veins visible to the naked eye. It was as if the fighter had eaten steroids for breakfast.

As unusual a look that was, it was not what made the man so eye catching. Not even the rough clothes, a sleeveless brown bomber jacket and thick green khaki trousers combo with thick platform boots; was what dragged his eyes to the man. No. It was the right arm, where normally a fist hung, was instead a large eight barrelled mini-gun. He also took in the image of a long bullet-belt coiled repeatedly around his body, no doubt it would feed the slugs into his arm. It was an awesome and terrifying sight.

"What the hell did I tell you lot?" The leader screamed suddenly. "Stupid idiots are gonna get us busted! Don' move in a large group!"

Jessie blushed. "I am still trying to figure out the way in, the gate lock is easy with my ice breakers, but that floor is the problem." She announced, pointing at an illuminated square that covered almost the entire pavement directly in front of the gate.

"Wha's that all abou'?"

"That's a security hot plate Barret, Soldier boy Cloud would know more about it." Biggs sniped suddenly.

"How abou' it?" Barret asked swiftly, "why's it so important?"

"You enjoy fighting an army?" He asked in retaliation. "Like the idea of battling the Shinra guards, Turks and Soldier in one fell swoop? Well if you do, step right up. That plate is connected to a security line that is priority 1-A. I remember when some drunk clot staggered on one at four in the morning. You've never seen so many pissed off members of the militia."

Barret snarled. "Then how we gonna ge' 'round it?"

He smiled. "Find a way to get the breaker into the slot without touching the pad. While you sort that, I am going to check on your wide boy." Quickly he slipped away from the street.


	2. Part I: Heart of a New God - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The wind howled as it streamed over the many folds and creases in the metals that formed the edge of the buildings in the sector. The figure was terrified at the sound, and the coupling darkness felt crushing to him. But the fat man shook his head and focused, his sight trained down the scope of his rifle. Cloud almost burst out laughing as he saw the man, he could not have been any less convincing a sniper.

He saw that the sniper wore an ill fitting yellow armour that exposed flabs of flesh around his waistline. A thick leather belt had been strapped over one shoulder and looped through the other side, a trio of grenades hanging from one section. While numerous clips for the rifle were statue still on his main belt that doubled as the way of keeping the denim trousers from falling down. Even the western bandana looked ridiculous.

"What do you see?" He asked as he slipped beside the man.

Wedge yelped in surprise before pointing to the distant spire. "There's a guard watching from there, he's got full vision."

"Let me look." He commanded, staring through the scope towards the glass tower on the horizon. A solitary man was sat with his feet on a console that was wedged against the circular glass. Numerous dials, switches and buttons appeared to blip constantly. The figure's eyes were fixed on a wall of monitors that had been set just above the console.

"Knocking him off is not the problem, just got to be sure that if we do, the movement on the ground is held off enough to prevent me getting locked out." Wedge interject nervously.

He eyed the man, knowing that they wouldn't have much longer than fifteen seconds. Too little time to get the man down safely should the card and shooting be synchronised.

"Can you get down in twenty seconds or less?" Wedge nodded at his question. "Then knock him off, once you shoot knock this to the street." He placed an empty vial on the lip of the roof. "Don't wait up, as soon as this is moved, you run for the gate. Do not miss the cut!" Instantly he darted from the sniper. He felt, rather than saw, the man slip into position for the shot, he did not look back.

* * *

"...He's not one of us, the guy will betray us!" Biggs protested.

Barret shrugged. "The guy's no' done it so far. Son of a bitch might later, but we's gotta keep the train goin'! Plus she gave the guy a good report, we can trust her."

As he walked from the stairwell that led to the roof, he was instinctively aware of who the topic of conversation was. He didn't care, all he wanted was for this farce to be over so he could pick up the next mission somewhere else. Calmly he walked over to the trio and stood before them.

"Your sniper is set, once he has taken the shot he'll drop a vial from the roof, when it hits the floor we open the gate." He cut in conversationally.

"I ain't gonna tell you again! You might be some big Soldier man, but I am the leader!" Barret barked, "this missions' goin' my way, if you don' like it then fuck off! But you's gonna kiss goodbye to your money."

He rolled his eyes, _now is not the time for this shit_ , he thought to himself. "I am not interested in your leader nonsense, I care only for this mission's success. Now, if you want to wind up in a prison cell as a failure then be my guest and carry on your macho approach. But unlike you, I know these reactors and the best ways in."

"Awright then, you give us your big plan!" Barret ordered.

He shrugged. "The plate is too sensitive to simply cover and walk on. Barret, you and I are both pretty strong so we can easily hoist Jessie up off the ground using a rope looped over that street-lamp." He announced, pointing to a fixture some four feet from the security panel. "Biggs then pushes her like a pendulum until she is close enough to card slot, at which point she thrusts it home, opening the gate."

Silence ruled before everyone began to laugh, he stood motionless as the crew lost all their focus. He had had enough, the whole thing was a complete nonsense, if they wanted to be brash then they would, but he wouldn't be part of it. Silently he turned his heels and walked back towards the station, knowing that if he followed the train lines, he'd reach the inner plate and a way out.

A thick arm was suddenly planted on his collar and spun him around, his eyes stared straight into Barret's. The face was devoid of the humour that had been there just seconds earlier, by his side the two aides stood stock still. Not knowing if the pressure of the situation was about to blow up worse than the reactor would.

"You walkin' out? Gonna jus' leave us to go right along alone?" Barret snarled, inches in front of him. "Who'd you think that you're dealin' with?! Avalanche ain't about being an army, but about sticking it to those bastards!"

"Are you done?" He asked coldly. "You want this mission to work? Then you think serious or you fail."

Barret snarled. "Listen! We ain't gonna jus' be like the Shinra! We want to take them down. You in or you out?"

"You going to listen to a simple and effective plan or laugh your way to jail?" _Sooner or later he will learn,_ he intoned silently.

"Enough, let's bury this." Jessie cut in suddenly, "the plan actually sounds like it will work. We laughed at how someone as military bound as you would be able to come up with something so childish. It caught us out."

"I served in Wutai, simple but effective, it won us the war." _Though it does come across as blasé,_ he agreed silently, "strike while the iron's hot, you in?"

Barret smiled and reached for the pack. "Let's get this party started!" He announced, before raising his right fist into the air.

* * *

He lay tight on the rooftop, his eyes intently staring at the distance. A dot formed in the centre of the scope, trained on where the bullet would go through. Below he watched Barret raise his left arm, the signal for the mission to go green. Calmly he made short rasping breaths, his heart rate quickening as he envisioned the aftermath of the shot.

Shaking the cobwebs from his mind, he placed his chunky finger on the trigger and prepared to fire. The tiny air-stream that was spewed from the fan underneath the barrel faded to the right by about one degree. Coolly he calculated the shot in his mind, knowing that he'd have only a split second to shoot again should the first slug fail to find the target.

Refusing to be cowed by thoughts of failure, he pulled the trigger and felt the weapon recoil under his armpit. Though the barrel spewed no sound as the slug flew from inside. Wedge kept his eyes on the enemy and watched as the target was punched backwards, a hole in the centre of his skull. He felt exultant as he rose to his feet, yet a sudden downer came upon him, this was only the beginning. Swiftly he kicked the vial off the edge of the roof and rushed down to join the others.

* * *

Cloud listened intently and as soon as the shattering glass inched through his ear drums he barked for the plan to start. Barret had been elected as the anchor, the rope coiled tightly around the back of his waist and he was crouched at an angle of forty-five degrees. Directly in front of him, Cloud mirrored the position and they each began to pull backwards. Jessie slowly inched from the floor, gesturing for them to continue the movement with her arms.

He watched her constantly, knowing that shortly the pair would have the difficult task of keeping her at one constant height whilst the rope was subjected to swinging forces and extra weight. One slip from either of them, and that plate would send the distress call throughout Midgar. He refused to let the thought unsettle him and suddenly he anchored his legs in one place, tightly holding the rope still.

Biggs wasted no time and took three running steps towards his hanging ally before pushing at her behind with both hands. Jessie swung for a few feet before coming back towards him. Carefully Biggs braced his palms in place to control the back-swing, before helping the pendulum motion go forward again. Four times the move was repeated before Jessie felt confident enough to go ahead. Calmly she wrapped her palm around a jutting iron bar and held her position above the card slot. Swiftly she pulled out the transparent card and slotted it home, a green light surrounded the panel and the gas pistons sounded, triggering the door process.

Beneath Jessie, the light emitting from the ground died and instantly the rope slackened, letting her down. Avalanche gathered their movements and rushed through the opening. Cloud began to count seconds as he stood at the gap and looked to the street beyond. From the stairwell Wedge appeared and desperately tried to run. His bulky frame rendering his efforts far slower than any of the others.

At the side of the walls the gas pistons sounded again and the gears began to warm up. Wedge grunted and rushed as hard as he could, his feet pounding over the darkened security plate. Suddenly he flung himself into the air and skidded on his belly across the threshold. As he came to a halt against a metal pipe, the gears ground into life and the gate closed behind them.

"Well for better or worse we are inside." Cloud orated.

"Yeah and we's not gonna just go out the same way we came in. Wedge, use that stuff of Jessie's and get the main gate to Sector Eight open. We are goin' to take the rail route to Sector Seven. Everyone else follow me!" Swiftly Avalanche ran towards the cooling tower and the reactor's main entrance.

* * *

If the tower had seemed imposing at the very entrance, up close he truly understood the nature of the beast. At surface level the tower stretched for over two hundred feet into the air. As he glanced below he was chilled by how deep the reactor was, even though he had been inside one before, it still caused fear to bubble through him. His eyes stopped trying to digest the image of the tower once it got past the service levels between the plates. The distance was too much to take in.

As he attempted to draw his vision back from the edge, his pupils drank in the hypnotic display of lights from the ground below. A black curtain of darkness had draped across the scene, with distant lights from houses and streets in the slums punctuating it, as if they were stars in the sky above the slums. Crafting the illusion that he was staring at Earth from the heavens. Just looking at it made him feel dizzy as he thought of falling into it.

He forced himself to look back up to the mission ahead, aside from Wedge, the others had turned and gone into the reactor. As a location, the Shinra had thought of everything. With Midgar being split into eight sectors there was always going to be space between them on the upper levels, so the rulers had filled the gaps with the reactors. The only means of getting to them was a bridge that crossed between the sectors, while another formed a t-shape that led to the entrance of the reactor.

He rushed along the bridge at the centre and through the main doors, instantly he felt the environment change. Where there had been a subtle breeze and a delicate sense of being high above the world. Here, the air felt dense and hot, it pressed against him harshly. Ignoring the sensation he walked along the concrete corridor and up the small set of stairs. The rest of the group stood waiting impatiently at the top.

"You keep preaching about being quick, then take forever." Biggs snorted.

"We's not got time for that. This place's gonna explode when we's through with it!" Barret countered.

"Which is something I've been meaning to ask about." He announced coldly, "how are we going to pull that off? A reactor this size would require an explosive the likes of which haven't been seen since the war."

Jessie smiled at the former Soldier. "It would if all you wanted to do was drop a bomb here and run away. We're a little more intelligent than that; this whole tower has dozens of air ducts that take pressure away from the cooling tower. Strap a bomb to a panel inside that and it'll explode, the flash launching a chain reaction that will feed through the entire thing."

He nodded. "Not a bad plan, but where do we pull that off?"

"Jessie knows all abou' it," Barret cut in and waved the comment away, "meantime we gotta do this! The planet is full of mako energy, the people use it everyday. Thanks to these bloodsuckers all the energy is being stolen from our world!" Barret preached suddenly.

 _The world's boldest environmentalist!_ He thought contemptuously. Barret did not seem to be some kind of preacher, and the suddenness of the action was excessive. "I didn't sign up for this to get some lecture. Let's hurry."

Barret's face flushed crimson. "Tha's it! Your ass' coming with me from now on!"

He felt like falling into laughter; this whole mission was beginning to collapse at every single turn. But with the figure hanging by his side from this point on, it might finally shut the man up. With everyone prepared for the mission ahead, he took point and walked to a huge sliding gate that stood at the end of the corridor.

Before he had the chance to think about how the mechanism worked, Jessie slipped by his side and inserted another of her transparent cards into a slot. Seconds later the sound of grinding gears filled the air, before the doors began to slide backwards.

Beyond the gate was a sinister looking industrial morass. The floor had changed from greyed concrete to a criss crossing form of wired mesh that appeared fragile. Only as he saw that many thick bars the braced them did he understand how no one had ever fallen through to the mako pools many metres below them.

A line of lights also navigated the mesh flooring, numerous cables that glowed red, green and blue all coiled about one another. While on the walls, the logos and hazard signs reflected the rainbow of colour back at him.

"You sa' you's been inside a reactor before?" Barret asked suspiciously, as the figure gingerly led the way.

He nodded. "Many times; just not for a long while."

Barret seemed to take in his words before he shook them off, changing the subject abruptly. "We need to get down the elevator. From there, we go on further."

Silence filled the air as the pair began the walk through the open level of the reactor. The echoes of his footsteps disturbed him; it suggested that the place was totally empty and he didn't entirely trust it. One doesn't just get away with knocking off your main man; no doubt, somewhere inside this mechanical maze, another set of men were waiting.

Suddenly a klaxon sounded, as if to prove his silent theory right. Directly in front of them, he saw the narrow line of light within the thick elevator door fill with shadow. Swiftly he darted forward, the sword swiftly detaching from his magnetic sheath and flashing into the air. At his movement, the others had also followed suit.

A loud pinging sound filled the air and the doors opened. No one advanced at first, until a wall of slugs was peppered from rifles that lay on the ground. Instantly he reacted, dived to his left and executed a roll that carried him back to his feet behind a pillar. Calmly he thought through the moves he had before rushing round the left hand side of the pillar and into the sanctuary of another directly ahead.

A quick glance back had let him see that Barret looked on as he drew the unit's attention to him. He continued to supply the distraction and watched Barret duck behind a thick pipe and carefully aimed his arm through a small gap in between the thick pipe that granted him cover, and a tiny steam pipe set above it. Realising the man was about to fire, he ducked into cover. He smiled as the ruse worked. The Shinra guards had been so focused on taking him out, that none of them had seen the danger until it was too late. One man took three shots in his right leg; he winced as he saw the shin, kneecaps and thigh all punctured by slugs. The guard screamed and fell to his back, while confused comrades spun around and fired blind, their own bullets clashing with the pipe. None saw the black man lying on his stomach, cowering low to avoid any of them drilling through the cover and into his body.

A repeated sound of clanging disturbed the air and the guards turned to see the grenade bounce towards them. As the guards saw their lives flash before them, one brave comrade threw his gun aside and dived atop the grenade. His body was blown into three pieces when the volatile object exploded, shielding his fellow infantrymen from the danger.

Despite the second chance, they were all too shocked to take the lifeline that had been offered them. From their left, he re-emerged and attacked, the giant blade colliding with the temple of one man, causing brains and blood to explode across the lift. A figure tried to use his rifle as club, but the wooden butt was smashed to shards against the heavy blade. He responded by head butting the figure, before thrusting his own weapon through the enemy's chest.

Behind him the other two members entered the fray. Jessie lethally twirled her blades through the air, their edges slicing sinew and chopping through flesh. Two guards fell to her deadly dancing style, before the brash Biggs followed up with some ferocious clubbing. His baton smashed one man's temple like a hollow egg, before he backhanded the weapon across the last guard's face, sending him sprawling from the elevator and straight into the gunfire from Barret's arm.

As the silence descended once again, he cleaned his sword and then swirled it into the magnetic sheath on his back. The others gathered their breath before they too sheathed what weapons they had.

"That tells me we'd better hurry." He suggested.

"No time to fuck around, Biggs; keep you' eyes on the doors back there." Barret snapped when Biggs had been about to retort. "Jessie, you's comin' along with the big guys." Nothing else was spoken, the trio darted onto the elevator, and towards the lower levels.


	3. Part I: Heart of a New God - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The girl could not recall how many nights she had spent walking through the cobbled streets of the upper city. She smiled as the basket under her arm swung freely; it had taken her a long time to make her dream work. For three years she had toiled in the dry polluted earth and finally been able to fill the slums with flowers. The plants had bloomed so strongly that she had enough supply to move her business to the upper plate.

A sense of melancholy filled her suddenly as she thought of the flower cart that had started the whole plan. She had been driven by an insane desire to walk through the dust and danger, spreading love and peace to a world that didn't understand it; that didn't want to embrace it. Swiftly she had dropped the cart and opted to keep it simple.

But she still felt happy, the flowers were always a seller due to their rarity in the dark city. It was a name she had coined herself, though she seldom ever spoke it. Unlike every other person in the metropolis, she always felt eyes looking upon her from the shadows. For years they had drank in her every movement. She knew why they watched, she wished her guardian had come home. Without her protector, life had become much more monitored.

Yet tonight, her instincts led her towards something different. As she walked along the alleyway between Sector Eight train station and the town square, she felt no danger. Instead she was captivated by an inner calm; a sense that if she stayed right where she was, things would work out in her favour.

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the open door that jutted from a nearby building. Inside she saw a swirling energy and it dazzled her as though looking into it was like searching through the depths of the pool beyond life. But the lights made no sense and she pulled away with some difficulty. She opted to stand in the centre of the square, calling out to the populace with offers of her flowers.

* * *

Barret had slid against the back of the elevator, and took in shallow breaths, while Cloud stood looking through the glass at the reactor outside. The buildings were imposing, easily reaching down for eight miles and further, though he knew this was just the feed pipes that syphoned the energy from the planet. The actual walkways were likely to comprise no more than one mile at a push.

"As I wuz sayin'" Barret began suddenly, "the planet's slowly being eaten alive. All these machines just suck it dry."

"It's not my problem." He answered in a bored tone. _For the love of all the gods don't start preaching._ He pleaded silently.

"The planet's dyin' Cloud! Can't you see that?" The burly man pleaded.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Getting out of here before the roboguards come is all I see. The place will be swarming if we aren't careful."

Barret raised his fist and snorted, he ignored him; he neither needed nor wanted the man's approval. On the other side of the elevator, he could see Jessie focused on the console that controlled it, no doubt keeping her distance from the storm that brewed.

As they stepped off the elevator Barret was obviously gobsmacked at the size of the world about them. To the untrained eye it seemed to continue forever, with the level they stood on being nothing but an entry to a seemingly never-ending descent. The huge squared area resembled a helipad, though a small refinery lab stood at the end, with huge rails surrounding the perimeter to prevent anyone falling over the edge.

Beyond the square area was a huge chute that descended down into a huge pit that was full of white fluid; a by-product of the energy refining process. While the many rails and girders strained against each other, they somehow spread the tonnes of weight and stopped an eventual collapse of the whole structure.

Cloud warily took point, with the other two members transfixed on the sheer scale of the reactor, he wanted to be sure that they didn't blindly fall into a trap. So, he carefully set foot on the first step of the stairwell that was directly to the right of the lift. Quietly and swiftly he made his way down the sixteen steps until he reached a middle level. Part of him felt like he was within a multi-storey parking garage; the low roofing and constant presence of stone pillars almost had him looking for a space to slip into.

He shrugged off the distraction quickly; checking behind him to ensure that the pair had not wandered away. Steadily the group advanced across the central level and onto another set of iron stairs, though this time they spiralled around the square tower. As he reached the end of the first set and was ready to turn he instantly halted the advance and reached into his side-pack.

"Hey punk what d'ya think ya doin'?" Barret asked aggressively.

He signalled for silence. "We haven't seen any guards yet, and blind corners make a good place for an ambush. Sit back and keep quiet."

He pulled clear a small mirror that was no more than two centimetres in height. Carefully he dropped to his knees and angled the object so that its reflective side could reveal what waited around the corner. Tilting it three times, he took note of the inverted image of the environment before the mirror. He cursed silently before dropping back to the pair behind him.

"What's up?" Jessie asked.

"They were ready for something like this, I'll give them that." He cursed before explaining, "at the bottom of the stairwell's a large perimeter; maybe about twenty four metres across. After that there's a narrow bridge that leads through a gate into the next area. That square's loaded with at least twelve men from the Shinra guard." He surmised.

"They'll see us comin' if we jus' bust on in!" Barret snorted in disgust.

He nodded. "I agree, so we'll need to distract them somehow. If we can get something to fall behind them and make them focus on the stairwell behind them, we can launch a surprise assault from the front."

"How are we going to do that? We don't have a rocket launcher or anything long range that can affect everyone." Jessie protested.

He pulled two grenades from his pack. "Trust me; it'll work. You two wait here; once the explosion goes off, start the attack. I'll back you up straight after." He darted away from the startled pair before he could be forced to listen to Barret's indignant protests; if they liked it or not, the plan was in motion.

It hadn't taken long for to rush back up the central level, threading two long pieces of string into the pins of the grenade as he ran. Carefully he secured the knots, making sure that he did not set the charges off by mistake and, once ready, he lay on his belly, sighting the line of the guardsmen. From up top he could make much more sense of the plan that Shinra had implemented.

The twelve men had formed in a perpendicular line that was angled in a slight V shape towards the centre. He silently approved of the idea; it granted them a cleaner run at an avenue of escape should an enemy group manage to overcome the onslaught of sheer numbers. A smile filled his lips as he lowered the grenade arm towards the floor; the only flaw in the plan was that they hadn't seen this coming.

He rolled the grenades over the edge and each length of string began to unravel from within his palm. He watched the thread swirl repeatedly and the balls shrink before a small amount remained. Jerking back his arm and closing the fist, he felt the initial resistance before the pins popped clear.

Three seconds later they exploded, his lengths had been off and the detonation had occurred over the heads of the unit. While they were shaken, they had not been scattered as he'd hoped. Thinking fast, he leapt over the railing and entered free-fall, landing on top of a thick lighting rack that coursed repeatedly above the square below. Crouching as low as he could, he turned his eyes to the assault, and waited for an opportunity.

* * *

As the explosion rocked through the air, Barret immediately took advantage of the guards' distraction; he ran at full pelt around the corner stairwell with his right arm raised and left palm locked beneath the huge gun. As he pushed the trigger studs into the casing he flailed the arm about repeatedly - he had judged the distance too great for clever aiming.

The burst of gunfire had successfully dislodged the confidence of the Shinra line, and their reprisal took a long five seconds to begin. Both Jessie and he had been granted ample time to reach the foot of the stairs. The young computer geek launched one grenade through the air before diving behind a thick mako fuel drum. She crouched low and listened as the metal casing sang repeatedly at the gunfire.

The grenade sent a light explosion into the air, shrapnel being flung at the line in its wake. Despite the desperate power behind the throw, the projectile had not gained enough ground to draw blood. _Time to show these suckers!_ He roared confidently in his mind, throwing all caution to the winds, he simply ran straight for the centre of the line. His mini-gun spewing slugs out like he were the dense clouds thrashing rain at a defenceless town in a hurricane.

A brave guard ran out to meet him, his gun set to auto-fire. Barret looked on as he fired three shots before stopping and then another burst beginning half a second later. The stop-start approach might have seemed less deadly than a raging torrent of bullets, but the extra accuracy and timing proved that it didn't take an entire clip for someone to be deadly.

One slug hit him in the right shoulder and instinctively he was flung backwards. The gun spraying the ground with its last shots before the spiralling stopped. The black warrior skidded for four feet before he rolled and lay flat on his back, staring at the roof above.

He watched the guard confidently make his way forward, the rifle aimed towards the stricken warrior. A grinding sound of metal on metal caused the guard to stop and attempt to find the source. From above Cloud landed, his huge blade entered at the left collarbone and was driven down into the heart. Cloud placing a thick boot on the corpse's back and contemptuously kicked the body away.

He looked on as the Soldier spun on his heel to face the eleven remaining fighters. Angrily he ran forward and thrust his sword through another guard's chest, catching him before the shock wore off. To his right another guard aimed to uppercut Cloud with the butt of his rifle, he smiled as Cloud swung away, retaliating with a right hook that shattered the figure's jaw.

Taking advantage of the distraction, he leapt to his feet. He fired a burst of slugs and two guards were punched from their feet, holes in their chest and head. With the centre and left side covered, guards filed instinctively to the right, hoping to get some space and regain the initiative. None of them had seen the advance of Jessie, who had broke cover during his onslaught. One guard had his eyes trained on Cloud and felt, rather than saw, the blade of her knife puncture through his jugular from behind.

Shocked comrades looked on as she pulled the blades clear and shoved the corpse forward. The dead weight forced the men off balance and further back. Jessie did not waste the chance and dived at the first guard in her path, tearing his throat out with both of the blades in her hands.

The terrified guards made an attempt to flee along the bridge and into the next zone of the reactor, but Cloud didn't give them the chance. His giant sword cleaved through two men at once before he chased down the lead guard and lunged through him from behind. The leader slumped forward on the blade and coughed blood. Before Cloud dragged the weapon back through the entry wound and the sentry slid onto the floor before him.

He called the pair back to the square, at his order they checked for any other guards that had either slipped through their assault or arrived as back up. But none had appeared, the reactor had fallen silent again - save for the distant humming of turbines and constant gurgling or mako fluid from the complex pipework. All three nodded their heads at each other before rushing along the bridge, determined to finish what they had started.


	4. Part I: Heart of a New God - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

If the walk across the bridges between the sectors and the reactor had presented a dizzying view to Cloud's eyes; then what he saw within the next area of the reactor made him feel like he was on the edge of reality. The network of pathways and stairs had been replaced by a convoluted network of pipes that conjoined with one another in a pattern that stretched onwards in to infinity. Each small inner network formed a square from four individual sections of tubular metal. The reactor pipes were wide, each being at least four feet across. The trio were able to comfortably walk along them in single file.

"Sheesh! Why's anyone gonna do this shit to ge' to work?" Barret moaned from the rear of the group.

"This is the back door way in." Jessie chuckled suddenly, "we've already had fights on elevators."

"Yeah she's right." He cut in before the leader could whine again, "don't forget this is going to be the heart of the Shinra reactor. They'll have put the tightest security in place, practically no hacker can get around retinal scans and such like."

The group carefully negotiated a final network of pipes in the direction of a huge girder, at the end of which was a ladder that descended for approximately forty feet. He took point and got to the rungs, beginning a controlled descent. Barret followed, Jessie, however, did not.

"Go on ahead, I'll keep watch from up here." She called at his unasked question, he simply shrugged and moved on. It was not his plan, so not his to question.

As he stepped off the ladder, he took in a deep breath and calmly walked to the centre of the walkway. Ahead he could see part of the colossal cooling tower. Up close he realised that it must have been at least one hundred feet in diameter. He didn't even begin to guess what the circumference would be.

Due to the incredible size of the cooling tower, the Shinra had carefully designed the area before it. A narrow pathway some ten feet wide connected the tower with their side of the reactor. Before a large squared area fanned out from it in front of the tower. Evidently they wanted to minimise damage caused by any potential explosive fallout.

The pair walked along the route and were shocked at how unmanned the area was. He had deliberately avoided looking at the abyss beneath the bridge, he had seen enough bottomless pits so far. Barret thought it was christmas, his mini-gun was practically snarling for the chance to punch through armour. He had felt differently, everything about the entry into the reactor had been too easy. While the orchestrated attack involving the fight in Sector Two would have cleared some security traffic from the site; there had only been three enemy engagements up to this point, _surely the situation should have been red flagged by Shinra?_ He thought uneasily to himself.

He was about to ponder this further when Barret suddenly strode away from him and leant back on a railing at the edge of the platform. Puzzled by this, he walked two further paces before the burly man stared straight at him.

"That thing there mus' be what Jessie wuz goin' on abou'. We's gotta get the bomb set in there somehow, get to it!" The leader huskily called to him.

"What was that?" He asked in stunned reprisal. "You're the leader here, are you sure you want me to set the bomb? If this is done wrong then everything we've done will be for nothing!"

Barret slammed his fists together. "Jus' do it! I's gonna watch from back 'ere to make sure you don' try to pull nothin'!"

He shrugged his shoulders. _Yes because I can really screw up the bomb when I am not touching it!_ He raged silently. "All right, be my guest; if that's how you want it."

He swiftly pulled the rucksack from the ground where Barret left it and made his advance towards the foot of the cooling tower. Suddenly a chilling sensation swept through his body, as if an apparition had crossed his path. Stopping, he heard a voice creep from the depths of his mind. The words malignant and hypnotic.

 _"Be careful!"_ The voice spat viscously, _"this isn't just a reactor!"_

From the corner of his eyes the world began to change, it was like when someone set paper on fire, the corners curling as if flames had taken hold of his vision. The edge of his view bubbled violently before he saw a wall of red light. Tiered pods began to stack up, panicked, he forced his mind to focus on the world ahead. Drinking in the image of the wide cooling tower of reactor number one. After a moment the baffling view departed, and his eyes saw the world normally once more.

"W'a's up?" Barret asked, "you gotta set the bomb!"

He shook his head. "It's nothing, just a few nerves." Before the man could grill him about how a former Soldier would feel nervous about such a routine mission, he began to set the bomb. The base of the tower had a large grilled door and he carefully pulled it open. Swiftly the warrior tapped in the data for the explosion. Just as he made to complete the setting, a huge klaxon sounded and he pulled away.

"Head's up! Looks like we got some company!" Barret yelled, pulling his mini-gun into position.

He walked to the centre of the platform and stood back to back with the leader. Instinct had led him to the defensive move, the pair now able to view most areas of the battlefield. _So long as we can trust each other to communicate the danger._ In the distance a sound of scuttling movement crashed over them like a wave. It was as if insects were rushing from an inner hive. At first they believed that an entire platoon of men had been dispatched to face them.

But as the noise reached fever-pitch both men broke formation and rushed back towards the narrow bridge. A loud thud sounded from above and the pair watched as the single enemy jumped down to the platform before the cooling tower. In essence the creature was a gigantic robot guard, the shape reminiscent of a scorpion.

Eight hydraulic legs formed an arched shape at a height of around nine metres, while above it a huge red armoured exoskeleton stood for another twelve metres. The head was triangular and reminded him of a beetle. Its shape oval at the front while it rolled back to form the point of an armoured spine on the rear of the enemy.

Barret's vision was obviously arrested by the magnificent weapons that adorned the robot's arms. They had been fashioned in the vein of old rifles, the barrels easily five metres in length with the tips ridged to grant better accuracy. The arsenal was completed by a tail formed from interlocking links of metal that curled behind the machine for a distance of approximately twenty metres.

Suddenly the enemy attacked, the hydraulic limbs carrying it over to the pair in a heartbeat. They each scattered as two of the metal legs stabbed at the floor of the platform. Their points puncturing through the thick concrete like it was made of rice paper. Cloud retaliated by leaping into the air and pulling off a single swipe at the joint of one leg and bouncing clear back towards the narrow walkway. His blade had dented the armour, while the tip scraped along a shaft that pumped Mako energy to the underbelly.

The robot instantly levelled both firearms and used a blinding pair of swirling lasers to outline its target. He did not wait for the attack and simply ran towards the scorpion. Unbelievably the machine was able to recalibrate its aim without further use of the lasers. The storm of slugs smashed at the foundations as if they were meteorites. He did not look back at the holes they had left in their wake.

He prayed that Barret would take advantage of the distraction he provided. Instinctively he glanced to his left and saw the leader aiming at the cranium of the robot. The mini-gun threw bullets at the target and a constant sound of metal ringing on metal shattered the noise of the robot's rifle attack. Barret held his nerve and kept up the assault, as if he were aiming to deliver some cover for him to exploit.

He took the offer and darted through to the back of the machine. Instantly he jumped onto the back of a leg joint and used it to propel himself higher. The scorpion read the sneak attack and swished its tail furiously. he stabbed his blade into the back of the machine and hung from the handle. Before it could become obvious what he planned, he swung his weight around the blade and used the sword as if it were a gymnast's bar.

Suddenly, he vaulted upwards, dragging the sword with him. The speed of the assault had rendered the machine unable to read the move and he drove home his blade, the sword going through the machine's throat and in to some core circuitry. An electric shock flung him and the sword from the enemy's back and into the cooling tower. The violent collision rocked him as if he had been hit by a train. Winded, he began to fall towards the ground, desperately he curled in a ball as the walkway came closer to impact.

Half-stunned, he saw the machine shake violently on the spot, as if it were helpless. Through blurred vision, he caught sight of Barret smiling grimly and aim once again, this time placing the mini-gun on full auto, the bullets screamed from the six barrels at a speed quicker than the eye could register. The metal storm rang out across the reactor, holes and dents forming all around the head of the robot.

He shook the cobwebs from his mind and looked on as Barret continued his assault on the machine at the centre of the platform. Suddenly the tail of the creature shot into the air, curving like a bow that was ready to release an arrow. Still the scorpion stood still, not attacking the human beneath it.

His bewilderment turned to horror as he saw the mako energy flow up from the core of the machine. It was preparing some form of attack with the tail, evidently powered by the energy that the reactor was syphoning. He desperately called out to the tribal warrior, but the blood had gone to man's head, and he did not respond.

Anger replaced the concern that he had possessed and adrenaline coursed through him like quicksilver. Kicking his legs into the air at a sixty degree angle, he jumped up to a standing position without using his hands. Swiftly he rushed at the man and grabbed his tunic, Barret looked confused, before he shocked him further. The veins of the Soldier's arms bulged before he dragged Barret away from the battle.

Furious, the the leader launched a head butt toward him. He rolled with the blow, which drew blood, though it did not stop him dragging the man clear. Suddenly; he dropped his quarry, safe underneath the belly of the beast. Barret was about to attack him again when a blinding flash of light filled the scene and the pair watched a one foot wide energy beam shot from above and was dragged across the platform in a semi-circular fashion.

The mako driven light formed a scar and the pattern was like the aftermath of a farmer who had chopped his scythe through a field full of wheat. He stared on as Barret looked in to his eyes with a look of horror. He watched the leader shiver before he silently walked past him, picked up his fallen sword and once again vaulted on to the back of the enemy.

This time he did not hold back, the forty-two inch blade repeatedly hacked at the armour, shafts and wires; like he was a butcher smashing through meat. Beneath him, Barret ran from underneath the robot and saw the gap appear within the exoskeleton, without a second thought he began to shoot. The slugs piercing through the exterior and into the core circuitry.

Suddenly Cloud saw it, the main mako shaft was right in front of his eyes, without hesitation he thrust his sword into the exposed armour and shattered the tube. Blue fluid sloshed from within like he had just smashed an hourglass. Sparks were spat from the armour and he vaulted clear, landing roughly alongside Barret. The robot staggered before toppling from the ledge. Neither pair looked down as the machine's explosion rocked the depths of the reactor.

For two minutes the pair gathered their breath, stabilising themselves from the adrenaline that still flowed uncontrolled in their bodies. Eventually he returned to the iron door within the tower, a flashing red light telling him the bomb was armed and ready. Barret nodded at him and he pressed the button in deep, as he did so a beeping sound came from the leaders watch.

"We's got jus' ten minutes, so let's fucking go!" Barret roared and began to run along the ledge.

* * *

From the pipework above the platform Jessie had watched all of the action unfold. She partly wished that Biggs had been able to see it, the guy would have been forced to eat all his words regarding Cloud. Ahead of her some blood streaks were still fresh on the pipes from where she had fought off a small unit of guards; who had appeared from nowhere. Though she knew that what she had pulled off paled in comparison to the battle waged by Barret and Cloud.

"Hey girl!" The burly man called as he leapt off the ladder and onto the pipe. "You see the big guy at work?"

She chuckled and nodded. "It was impressive."

"Yeah, shame that running down our escape clock isn't." Cloud cut in suddenly.

"Jeez jus' piss all over my parade eh punk?" Barret snorted.

"You want to blow the reactor? That parts done, you want to escape? That isn't, so unless you want to get burned to a crisp, you'll move it!" He roared in reprisal. For a second none spoke before Barret silently nodded. "Then go!" He ordered and the trio slipped over the pipes and back to the main access point.

As the elevator slammed to the top floor Barret shouted at the top of his voice for everyone to get the doors open. Cloud led the trio on, he ignored the incessant calling of the time by Barret as best he could. Swiftly they ran down the stairs and on to the T-shaped bridge.

He was almost at the gate when he heard Jessie go down, he cursed angrily before he scooped her onto his shoulder and dived for the exit. Behind him he heard a mass of minor chain explosions, before a tremor shook the bridge and the pair spiralled into the rest of Avalanche.

He turned his head and drank in the image of the reactor. Huge fissures had formed along the outside of the column, while many gargantuan slabs of concrete and metal had broken free and smashed towards the slums below, tearing through some of the circular foundation of the upper plate as it went. The open top of the tower spewed a column of flame instead of Mako smog. The heat warped some of the girders that surrounded it. A flash of fire erupted from the entrance of the reactor, whilst the deafening noise shattered the still of the night.

On the horizon a repeated sound of helicopter rotor blades smote the booming echo of the bomb. Instantly Avalanche darted through the gate and down a subsidiary tunnel that led them away from the main sector checkpoints. The group had no idea if the helicopters were for fighting the fires or securing the perimeter. Either way, their mission had succeeded, now they had to get out of the strike zone without being captured. He knew this wouldn't be easy but silently followed the lead of the group, this was where their supposed water tight preparation would be fully tested.


	5. Part I: Heart of a New God - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The mission had only been over for around twenty minutes. Even so, for Avalanche, they had long since moved from the reactor site and had their focus zoned in on their escape. Cloud had decided to walk towards the rear of the group, his eyes peeled on their tail in case of any pursuit. He'd barely paid any heed to the surroundings that the group had wandered into, though he knew they were no different to any other service level within the metropolis.

The green shaded walls were squalid and damp from where the traces of Mako steam had once flowed. A few dimmed arc lights within the ceiling radiated a tiny yellowed aura across the tunnels. At the edge of the shadows small furred creatures scattered from the advancing booted feet, as though pressed on by an alien sensation that had been forgotten for more than fifteen years.

In the time before these tunnels would have once been the sewers that took the sector's waste out to the disposal sites on the edge of the metropolis. That all changed with the onset of the war between Shinra and Wutai. The President had declared a state of emergency, suspending numerous freedom of movement laws immediately and allowing military mobilisation within the city limits.

Soon the stench of the sewers had shifted from faecal matter to oils and engine grease. The deep tunnels were a perfect way to move weaponry across the colossal civilisation without being exposed to any form of ambush. But even if everyone had expected things to return to normal once the war was at an end, the Shinra had other plans. The freedom of movement laws had been forever consigned to history; whilst the deep tunnels sat empty and void of all movement, the new chemical refinement protocols proved of far greater economic value.

Though Avalanche had been shrewd to remember their existence on this evening, when a top government facility is attacked overtly, the sectors surrounding it attracted the Shinra militia like nails to a magnet. So, the terrorists had descended into darkness, off the radar and beneath the gaze of the rulers. He smiled as the thought of the government hopelessly scouring avenues above them came into his mind.

Another ten minutes drifted past before the group were ready to begin the escape. He had looked on as Jessie repeatedly tapped at the device set before an ancient iron door. With his back slumped against the wall, he enjoyed the brief respite granted. For over twelve hours he had been on his feet and, truth to tell, he was starting to feel it.

The hacker rose from her squatting position and pointed back the way they had came. Confused stares looked back at her before she sighed and pointed at the device she had set.

"This charge will blow out the door and there's danger of a back draft, so we need to drop back and exploit the fork in the path." She announced as an explanation.

"We's at danger from wha'?" Barret asked, "ain' got a clue wha' you's talkin' 'bout!"

"Never heard of a back draft?" He asked while chuckling. "It's the way that fire reacts to oxygen in a concentrated space. Basically the oxygen gets sucked towards the flames at the source. Once it reaches that source, it ignites and the flames increase in intensity."

Jessie's eyes glowed with desire. "You Soldier boys sure know your stuff! That's spot on!"

"We were trained to deal with all terrorist activity, which means understanding every kind of peril we could face on a job." He replied, killing the positivity at the same time.

"I still don' ge' it. Why's it so dangerous?" Barret asked again.

"Haven't you ever blown on coals to relight a fire from the night before?" He asked, Barret nodded. "There you are then; by blowing oxygen onto the embers they ignite into flames. So here, the oxygen in the air gets blown into the core of the explosion causing flames to sprout along the tunnel, only a lot faster and hotter than a regular fire because of the pressure. So we need to be shielded and divert the flames away from us. Let's get out of here."

He ran on and reluctantly the remainders of Avalanche followed in his wake, save for Jessie who waited a further five seconds and then set the timer. Swiftly they had darted along the path, using his instincts to lead them into a tunnel on the right, Barret waited for Jessie to catch them before slamming the thick door shut and slamming an iron bar into the slat.

"Movement in the other tunnel." Jessie called as she looked at her computer screen, "they must've figured we didn't go overground."

"Everyone quiet down; let's see if we can use this to our advantage," He cut in with a grim smile on his lips. "That back draft could make things pretty nasty for them."

* * *

Dobias led at point of the Shinra advance, his machine gun held level in front of him. Looking down the barrel he had one simple policy for the mission ahead; find the terrorists and stop them. Behind him, the other seven members of his unit provided backup. They took it slowly; the torches on the end of their weapons shone into all the crawlspaces at the side of the tunnel.

"Remember the core of the plan," He announced into the mouthpiece that hung from his helmet, broadcasting the message to the rest of the unit. "The enemy are to be taken alive at all costs, do not use lethal force!"

"Any sign at point, Sir?" One of the cadets called back through the radio.

"Negative, but assume they are here. Engage all hostiles upon sight; for Shinra. Forward!" He called, and the unit broke into a run.

For two minutes they ran at full pelt, their torches forming a wall of light that pushed all the gloom in the tunnels back to the edge. Suddenly, the path curled around to the right and he found himself leading the unit into a much wider corridor.

"Wedge formation!" He called and felt the other guards all fan out behind him, the group now possessed the advantage of a tiered position and subsequent volley fire. Carefully they advanced for another minute until they heard a distant explosion. Instinctively they ducked low as a wall of dust cascaded towards them. For thirty seconds they rode it before he ordered the charge, in case the terrorists exploited the decision.

Ahead a corona of orange crested through the rubble and instantly the unit knew that a fire was flashing towards them. Desperately they turned tail as the flames cascaded for them. Ducking to the floor he thought he had got his men to safety, only for their uniforms to catch the flames and begin to burn. He barked repeatedly for his men to drop and roll, but the flames would not be displaced and for three agonising minutes the men were cooked in their uniforms, before he mercifully felt himself fall into darkness, with the mission a complete failure.

* * *

Barret pushed the iron door open forcefully and aimed his gatling gun straight into the tunnel. At his side Jessie had her eyes locked to the screen of her computer, the map showing no advancing units as it had before they had gone to ground in the right hand fork. As the silence consumed the group, Cloud rushed forth at the choking smell of burning flesh, instantly he spotted the blackened corpse of a guard in the centre of the tunnel. Dropping onto one knee beside the body he pressed two fingers against the figure's throat; he felt no pulse.

"Guy's dead; looks like the plan worked." He announced apathetically.

"We torched the fuckers!" Barret yelled exultantly.

"That's not the only thing," Jessie called pointing towards the blown out security door of the service tunnels. The thick sheet metal had gone, but there was now a wall of fire that covered the exit point. Biggs walked towards the flames but was beaten back by the heat.

"We can't get near it; the flames are too hot!" The fighter cried while backing away.

"Tha' ain't good. Any ideas on how we's gonna put them out?" Barret asked; everyone else shook their heads.

"We might be in trouble," Jessie added. "There seems to be more movement at the start of the tunnel."

"They're missing a unit; Shinra won't let one just drop off the radar." He cut in. "They're coming to find out what happened."

"We can't let them find us!" Wedge yelped.

"But there's no way through!" Biggs protested.

He shook his head at the collective panic and walked closer to the wall of fire. "Hold onto your dreams," he began suddenly, talking more to himself than to the others. "And no matter what happens, never forget your Soldier honour." Taking a deep breath he went for it.

The baffled group looked on as the blonde warrior ran to the burning exit and launched himself into a full dive. Barret held back Jessie who was going to follow him, the groups' heads bowed as they saw the figure perish in the flames rather than be captured by their nemesis. He may not have liked him, but it shouldn't have ended like that.

"You going to do their work for them?" Cloud's voice suddenly shouted through the fire wall. Shocking him back from the state of shock. "The fire is a test; think of it as a measure of your courage. Run fast, aim low and dive hard; you might feel some pain, but you won't catch on fire."

The four members on the other side of the blazing exit felt little of the courage that the Soldier had shown to leap through the barrier. Nervous they held back, Jessie's hawk eyes gauged the distance of the enemy to be less than five hundred yards. At the news, he roared a battle cry and made his own jump. The wall of fire was on an indescribable heat, ignoring the flashes of pain, he shrieked and continued the fall before pitching in to a roll upon impact. Besides some minor singes, he felt fine, grinned and got back to his feet.

"The sucker ain' lyin'! Come on! Just believe!" He shouted back to his comrades.

Seconds later, the smoking form of their hacker Jessie landed on the cobbles of the courtyard, followed by the rough tumble of Biggs. Last to make the leap of faith was Wedge, his fear nearly conquering him. The sniper had launched himself into a dive and skidded to a halt in the middle of a semi-circle Avalanche had formed outside the exit.

"Heh! Tough bit is over, bu' don't you lot be getting fearful now. Mission ain't over! Move out, we's gonna meet back at the station; don' miss the train!" He yelled and straight away Biggs, Wedge and Jessie split their separate ways from the courtyard.

"Hey!" He heard Cloud protest as he made to break away in the shadow of the group's lead.

"If this' abou' your money, then save it! We'll do all that shit at the hideout!" The tribal warrior announced before rushing off.

He shook his head as the former Shinra stood alone. _Jez get outta there punk!_ He thought contemptuously, _somewhere nearby is the unit sent after us! Don't jes stan' ther' makin' the suckers jobs easy!_ His inner rant seemed to work as the Soldier rushed up a nearby iron staircase. He focussed back on his own escape.

To be outside after facing the damp and tight confines of the sewers felt strange to the man. Though the figure knew that he wasn't truly outside; for a man from the middle continent, this place was far from the great outdoors. There were no natural spires that scraped the sky, in their place were colossal towers formed from metal and glass.

It was those mountains that he called home; magnificent peaks where a man could stand tall and truly feel on top of the world. He realised in that moment how empty and disposable the lives of those within Midgar's boundaries were. Every day it seemed they would crawl from their hives, go on the job and then at sunset retire back to the colony once more. The realisation made him long for those days again; the days where life was peaceful and simple.

He had been away from such a life for seven long years now, but he knew that he couldn't be distracted by this. Tonight Avalanche had crossed the line and declared war; from this day forward all of them would be wanted at all points of the earth. Cautiously, he began to move on, weighing up his options. The station lay to the south and that meant he had a wide choice of avenues that he could exploit.

He was disadvantaged in comparison to everyone else; he was black. People of his colour and creed were rare within the eastern lands; which meant when his photo got out to the security personnel, he could not even hope to hide within a crowd. As this dawned on him, the spider web of choices shrunk, as if shrivelling up with age.

Then it hit him; by being dark skinned he had a natural pseudo-camouflage in a city as dark as Midgar. Swiftly he stepped from the well-lit avenues into the many alleyways that ran alongside them. Coolly he disengaged the safety catch on his firearm and began to advance through the hostile shadows. He had an advantage now, and he would not let it get away from him. With the train ready to leave in a further ten minutes, he wasted no time and moved onwards swiftly.

* * *

Jessie desperately fought for calm as she milled in amongst the shocked citizens of the sector. She had to keep her composure, in order for the mission to truly succeed, she had one very important task. The crowd moved along slowly but this helped her instead of hindered her; unlike the others, she did not truly stand out. She was not a bulky woman, nor was she immediately recognisable to those who saw a photo of her.

Shrewdly she'd taken advantage of this, silently slipping through the mass of panicked and confused people that dogged the eighth sector. As she walked off the final lane before the station she took in her surroundings. Down on the right hand side was a road that would lead on to the station and her escape, while the streets around it were all shops, carefully placed to lure in customers who were merely travelling between places.

Alongside the coffee shops and news-stands were modern day blacksmiths; their shop windows adorned with all forms of combat items. Everything from clubs, knives and knuckle dusters; to swords, guns and grenades. She peeled her eyes away from the bizarre juxtaposition and focused instead on the object that she needed.

A minute later she spotted it lying at the corner of a four way intersection. The box was around three metres in height, all four sides formed from glazed perspex. While it granted a view inside and outside of the box, the transparent casing muffled sound from within, protecting the privacy of its user. She swiftly darted inside and lifted the handset, still amazed that the design had remained unaltered in the thirty years since they were initially installed.

The hacker forced the sensations of nostalgia to the back of her mind as she tore the casing away from the voice box of the phone. Immediately she produced the black bug from her pocket and carefully covered the speaker. Once satisfied that everything was ready, she dialled the number of the external operator, within ten seconds it picked up.

 _"Welcome to the Shinra telecommunications line. Please provide your identity card to continue."_ The voice asked soullessly.

She swiped the card through the slot provided. _"Verifying..."_ She waited twenty seconds as the system analysed the pass. _"Confirmed, welcome Jane Horona. Please provide your debit card to continue."_

She swiftly placed the second card in the credit slot, a green light emitted from the crack that surrounded it, she breathed a sigh of relief. _"Thank you for utilising the communications service courtesy of Shinra Inc. The sum of fifty gil has been deducted from your account. Please dial the number you wish to call when ready."_

Quickly she entered the number for the central desk of the Shinra tower, suddenly fearful that the line would be jammed with reports of the bombing. Yet, to her astonishment, the pulsing sound of the line rang in her ears two times, meaning it had successfully dialled through to an adviser without placing her in any form of call queue.

"Good evening and thank you for calling the Shinra Corporation. My name is Fetina, may I take your full name please?"

She took a deep breath before responding. "Do not waste time with the usual authentication questions, this is not a call requesting data from my records. My name does not matter, and this call cannot be traced either. As you are probably aware, the reactor in Sector One has been damaged in an explosion. This was not an industrial accident, Shinra beware, this is only the beginning. Soon Midgar will become a battlefield, and an Avalanche shall bury all of your corruption."

Instantly she cut the call before the astonished adviser could ask any further questions. The call had been made, and soon the President would be giving his brown nosing message to the world. With her mission complete, shee pulled clear the bug and slipped the forged cards into her side pack before dashing on towards the station.


End file.
